China-South Caucasus: cooperation in transport and logistics nodes of the Belt and Road

Abstract. The South Caucasus (SC) is an area of cross-influence, where the interests of global and regional, old and new powers intersect. Russia, Turkey and Iran have traditionally had a significant influence on the SC, to which non-regional players such as the United States (US), the European Union (EU) and China have been added after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, far from its traditional sphere of influence, in a region not considered a foreign policy priority for China, its interests could hardly be considered strategic in comparison with other world actors - Russia, the US and the EU. Beijing's interests were mainly limited to establishing cooperation with the countries of the SC, and using the `region` as a base to export Chinese goods to EU markets.

Since the 2010s, based on the geopolitical realities of the `region`, China has strengthened its political influence and economic presence in the SC. The Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a key tool for promoting Beijing’s interests in the `region`, which, as an important part of the historic Great Silk Road, intersects with the North-South-East-West strategic vector.

The scientific goal of this work is to study the common features, transformations and tools of China's policy in the SC, especially during the studied periods of the BRI implementation. The study was carried out using the methods of descriptive, historical and content analysis.

Keywords: China, South Caucasus, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Belt and Road Initiative

For citation: Harutyunyan A.A. China-South Caucasus: Cooperation in Transport and Logistics Nodes of the Belt and Road. Modern Oriental Studies. 2022; 4 (4). P. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24412/2686-9675-4-2022-112-137